Cetiosaurus was a plant-eating sauropod, a member of the family Cetiosauridae. Its fossil remains were first discovered in England.
Key Facts
| Domain | Description |
|---|---|
| Cetiosaurus pronunciation | See-tee-oh-sore-us |
| What does Cetiosaurus mean? | Whale lizard |
| Dinosaur type | Sauropod |
| On the menu | Herbivore |
| Length | 50′ (16 meters) |
| Height | 10’ (3 meters) at the hips |
| Weight | 22,000 lbs (10 000 kg) |
| Life expectancy | Unknown |
| Legs used to get around | Quadrupedal |
| Estimated top speed | Unknown |
| When they lived | 170 to 160 million years ago |
| Where they have been found? | England but it’s possible that it roamed around Europe and Africa |
When & Where
Lived during the Middle Jurassic 170 to 160 million years ago.
Cetiosaurus was first discovered in 1842 and it was the first sauropod to be described. Almost a complete skeleton was found in England. It was described and given a name in 1871. It is assumed that they lived in terrestrial habitats dependent on the natural flora. Some believe that they could live on floodplains and open woodlands.
Size & Weight
Cetiosaurus was a large sauropod for its era, but compared to other sauropods through all time it was only medium size. It could stretch to around 50’ (16 meters) in length and around 10’ (3 meters) in height measured at its hips, weighing in at around 22.000 lbs (10.000 kg).
Mobility & Diet
Their main diet was based on plants. It used to feast on trees that were out of reach to its fellow plant-eaters.
Interesting Points
- Though huge for its time, it is not considered to be among the largest dinosaurs.
- It was first thought to be a crocodile-like animal.
Featured Image Credit: Ghedo, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons
